Exercising your abdominal muscles with a Swiss ball is one of the best ways a guy can jump-start his routine, for what may seem unique to you is actually quite familiar to your muscles. A Swiss ball mimics movements your abdominal muscles typically do throughout the day. “The abdominal wall’s greatest job isn’t to cud you off the floor; it’s to constantly support and stabilize your body in an upright, balanced position all day long,” says Jeff Bell, C.S.C.S., N.A.S.M., A.C.S.M., co-owner of Spectrum Wellness, New York City. Merely positioning yourself on the ball forces all your muscles (especially your abs) to naturally contract before you even start a movement. “Doing crunches on top of a ball also lets you bend back through a greater range of motion to work more muscle fibers along a safe, supported surface,” says Bell. “Trying to arch your lower back on a flat surface to achieve the same effect will only compromise the spine instead of strengthen your abdominals.”

MEDICINE BALL PUSH-UP (inner chest, lower chest, triceps) Get on your knees and place your hands along the sides of a medicine ball, spreading your fingers wide to help grip the surface. (If you don’t have access to a medicine ball, use a soccer ball, basketball or any other round object.) The space between your index fingers and your thumbs should form the shape of a diamond. Balance your weight on the ball, then carefully extend your legs behind you to assume the traditional push-up posture (7a). Lower yourself down until your chest touches your hands (7b), then slowly press yourself back up and repeat for as many repetitions as possible.

Pressdowns produce intense, continuous pressure over the entire triceps area, and the rope pressdown can fry your tris better than most other variations. At the start of the movement, turn your palms inward and position them on a plane in front of your sternum. As you press down, simultaneously do two things: Pronate your hands until your palms face the floor, and slowly move your hands apart until your thumbs are approximately 12 inches apart. Called a flareout, this movement throws a truly nasty pump on the lateral head.

Convert anger to conviction. “Anger is the feeling; aggression is the behavior,” Pfeiffer notes. “It’s possible to feel angry and do something that’s constructive or creative, not destructive.” Much of the time, anger is based on a sense that other people have violated your rights or needs. Say the team captain has said something demeaning to you. Rather than attacking him physically or calling him names, ask yourself why the statement made you angry. Then identify the principle you feel is being violated – in this case, that you should be treated with respect – and put your conviction into words. “Anger makes you wild,” Goulston notes. “Conviction makes you strong.”